My Life, My Way
by CountryMusicFan
Summary: Harry is sick of other people telling him how to live his life... and he is not taking anymore... Sev adopts Harry type thinger... eventually WARNING: minor child abuse
1. Realizations & Favours

DISCLAIMER: anything you recognize is not mine… all J.K. Rowlings… cries lucky

A/N: This is my first fan-fic so plz be nice… no throwing things… I bruise easily. lol

**My Life, My Way**

'writing'

"_thinking" _

"talking"

"_Oh my Gods, I'm bored_", thought Harry Potter of 4 Privet Drive, Surrey, England. The small alarm clock next to Harry's bed flashed 11:38 p.m. It was nearly a month into the summer holidays and he had been completely ignored by the Dursley's ever since they picked him up at King's Cross, with the exception of when he was screeched at by his Aunt Petunia to get something to eat and to give him his list of chores for the day.

"_Well, at least they're feeding me this summer. But, I'm bored, bored, bored SO bloody bored!!! Oh, well… might as well finish that essay for Snape_"

In the time that Harry had been "home", he had been unable to sleep for more than a few hours a night, being plagued by nightmares of death and a madman. He spent his nights reading through all of his books from every year not just once, but THREE times each! He now knew everything from memory.

"_I'm turning into Hermione now,_" he thought with first a laugh, then a pang of sadness. Harry missed his best friends, Ron and Hermione. "_They're probably at head-NO!! Don't think of that place! Nothing that reminds me of Sirius._"

Harry wiped a single tear from the corner of his eye and decided that Lord Voldemort, the serpent-like man that had killed his parents, Cedric Diggory, and was ultimately responsible for the death of his god-father, had to be dealt with once and for all. He didn't want any more of his friends dying on his account. He needed to push them away, so they couldn't get hurt. And he needed to be trained, by someone who really knew what Harry was going up against. With a sigh, Harry accepted the fact that Snape was the only qualified person, apart from Dumbledore.

"_Dumbledore,_" thought Harry savagely. "_He will NOT be controlling me anymore! I will no longer be his little puppet on a string." _

No longer able to focus on his essay, he decided to write a letter to his friends one last time before pushing them away forever.

'Dear Ron and Hermione:

I know that you are in London and you have access to Diagon Alley. I need a favour from you two. I need some books to read. I am SO bored and need some distraction, considering I already finished all my homework. If you could get me some stuff on, like, defence, duelling, occlumency, potions, our N.E.W.T. books, ANYTHING, I would be so grateful. As many as you can. Don't worry about the money, I'll send word to Gringotts, so they'll know you're coming. Thanks again.

Harry'

Harry hastily wrote a note to Gringotts and waited for Hedwig to return from hunting. The sun was starting to poke up from the horizon and Harry knew that the Dursley's would be waking up soon and he didn't have much time, so he started writing a letter to Professor Snape.

"_Oh Gods, what am I going to say to him? Like he'll actually say yes. Well, no harm in trying._"

Harry got out a fresh piece of parchment and a quill out and started to write.

'Dear Professor Snape,

I realize that nothing I can say will make up for what my father and god-father had done to you in your school years, but I can try. I am sorry for the way they acted towards you. No one deserves to be bullied. I also want to apologize for my behaviour while you told me my father was arrogant. After the "incident", I realize that you were always right and I had no right to act like I did.

I also want to apologize for looking into your pensieve. My curiosity had gotten the better of me again and, rest assured, I will NEVER look into anything that is not mine again.

I would like to ask a favour of you. I need training. Training for facing Voldemort. Only you have the experience that I need for this and I will work hard. He has to be brought down.

I await your reply.

Harry'

"_That should do it_", thought Harry. At that moment, Hedwig flew in through the window and landed on her perch. "Hey, Hedwig. I need you to send three messages for me. The first one goes to Gringotts, the second goes to Ron and Hermione at you-know-where, and the third goes to Professor Snape, where I want you to wait for a reply. OK?"

Hedwig looked at him with big, amber eyes and hooted in a comforting way.

"Bye, Girl"

Hedwig spread her wide wings and soared back out the window into the morning light.

"BOY!!", screeched Aunt Petunia. "GET DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT AND GET STARTED ON YOUR CHORES!"

With a sigh, Harry put away his things under the loose floorboard under his bed and trudged downstairs with a half-hearted, "Yes, Aunt Petunia."

Well, there it is… I plan on doing more, just not sure when. Suggestions are welcome but please no flames… if you didn't like it, don't read it… it's that simple. À bientôt!


	2. A Day in the Life of Harry Potter

Wow… I wasn't expecting such great reviews! Thanks!! Sorry this took so long for chapter 2 but my computer crashed the day after I posted the first.

**Emikae:** thanks for liking it!

**Genkai-chan: **thanks! And I did read it… its good!

**Elisandra1: **wow! Thanks… I spent a long time on that letter! Here's the new chappie!

**Padawan Jan-AQ: **thankies for the review… but what's a C2 group?? Lol

**Starangel2106: **thank you for being my first reviewer!! I hope it is good.

Well… here's chapter 2!! Enjoy!

* * *

PREVIOUS CHAPTER: 

_"That should do it", thought Harry. At that moment, Hedwig flew in through the window and landed on her perch. "Hey, Hedwig. I need you to send three messages for me. The first one goes to Gringotts, the second goes to Ron and Hermione at you-know-where, and the third goes to Professor Snape, where I want you to wait for a reply. OK?"_

_Hedwig looked at him with big, amber eyes and hooted in a comforting way._

_"Bye, Girl"_

_Hedwig spread her wide wings and soared back out the window into the morning light._

_"BOY!!", screeched Aunt Petunia. "GET DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT AND GET STARTED ON YOUR CHORES!"_

_With a sigh, Harry put away his things under the loose floorboard under his bed and trudged downstairs with a half-hearted, "Yes, Aunt Petunia."_

* * *

Harry trudged down the stairs, taking as much time as he could, and dreading the long list of chores he knew was waiting for him. Not having slept all night again was taking a toll on his strength. Chores that only used to take him a few hours to do now took him all day. 

"BOY!" screeched the horse-faced woman he called 'family'. "Get down here and eat! You have work to do!"

"Yes, Aunt Petunia," replied Harry. He sat down at the table, stifled a yawn, and started eating his stale bagel. Dudley all the while cramming his face with bacon, eggs, hash browns, sausages and several other foods, diet long forgotten.

Aunt Petunia thrust a think roll of paper at Harry saying, "Here are your chores for the day… and they had better be done before Vernon comes home." Dudley looked up from his plate and sniggered, knowing he hasn't had a single chore to do in the last… well, forever!

"_Whatever,_" Harry thought. Out loud he said, "Yes, Aunt Petunia." Harry had barely finished eating when his aunt whisked the plate away as if it were a disappearing act.

"Now go do your chores!"

"Yes, Ma'am."

Harry unrolled the list and read:

1- Mow the lawn-front and back

2- Paint all fences

3- Tend the flower beds-weed, prune, water and re-fertilize.

The list went on until:

17- Make dinner- DON'T BURN IT!

Harry rolled his eyes and started on the yard work while it was still relatively cool out. He had finished mowing the lawn and gardening and was about to start on the fence when he heard from inside, "LUNCH! NOW!"

Harry went inside, grateful for the cool-ness of the house to the kitchen. Aunt Petunia pointed to a plate with half a sandwich , a lump of cheese, and a pickle and said, "Eat that… and quickly! You still have chores to do."

"Alright," Harry replied. He downed the lunch and was sent back outside to finish the chores. Somehow, he was able to get them all done was just finishing cooking dinner when his Uncle Vernon got home.

"Petunia, darling! How was your day? Did _he _do all his chores? Give you any trouble?" asked Vernon.

"No… a little slow, but managed to finish in time," said Aunt Petunia, giving her husband a kiss on his flabby cheek.

"And how's my Dudders?! Did my strapping young lad have a good day?" (Harry rolled his eyes at this comment)

Dudley looked up from the TV with a blank look on his face and said, "Huh? Oh uh… yeah. Great day."

"Well then, Boy," addressing Harry for the first time. "Eat something quickly and then get up to your room and I don't want to see your face again tonight. Got it?!"

"Yessir," mumbled Harry and started to his room with a sandwich, an apple and a large glass of water. He ate the sandwich on the way up the stairs and down the hall. When he got to his room, he only had the energy to pour some of the water into Hedwig's water dish before collapsing on his bed in exhaustion and sleep overtook him.

* * *

Well, there's chapter 2... Hope you like it! À bientôt!! 

next chapter hints: O.W.L. results, books, and Prof. Snape's reply


	3. Owl Post

Hey all… I know the chapters are short but they are a LOT longer when written out my hand… so sorry!

Thanks to:

**Ceris Malfoy: **yes.. I know there isn't much of a plot yet… I'm getting to it… its taking me longer than expected.

**Lady Jillyan Malfoy-Potter: **like I said… it was longer on paper.

**Elisandra1: **who reviewed twice!! A cookie for you! Once again… I know there isn't a plot yet… I'm working on it.

* * *

"_Well then, Boy," addressing Harry for the first time. "Eat something quickly and then get up to your room and I don't want to see your face again tonight. Got it?!"_

"_Yessir," mumbled Harry and started to his room with a sandwich, an apple and a large glass of water. He ate the sandwich on the way up the stairs and down the hall. When he got to his room, he only had the energy to pour some of the water into Hedwig's water dish before collapsing on his bed in exhaustion and sleep overtook him._

* * *

DREAM SEQUENCE 

Maniacal laughter came from all around Harry as he saw hooded figures standing around the perimeter of the dreaded amphitheatre where the veiled arch stood.

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!" screamed Harry at the faceless figures, taunting him of his godfathers' untimely demise. He screwed his eyes shut and fell to his knees, his scar searing in sudden white hot pain.

Inside his head, he heard the cold, cruel voice of Lord Voldemort as if he was standing right beside him.

"Potter… you can't save them. You and all your little 'friends' are all going to suffer, just like your PRECIOUS Sirius. You are just a stupid little boy who was too weak and foolhardy. Harry Potter… you, and all that you hold dear… will DIE!!!"

END DREAM SEQUENCE

Harry shot up straight in bed, still in the clothes he had worn that day, drenched in a cold sweat. He raised his hand to his scar, which was still prickling from his latest nightmare.

"That is IT! I need that training and I need it NOW!"

tap tap tap

Harry looked up to his window and saw no fewer than 5 owls precariously perched on his window sill. He crossed his room and opened the window, letting the flock of birds in. Two he instantly recognized; his own Hedwig, and the old, feeble owl belonging to the Weasley's, Errol.

Four large owls dropped at least a dozen heavy packages on his bed and instantly took off.

"Those must be the books I asked for," thought Harry. He picked up the note from Errol and carried the elderly bird to Hedwig's cage for a drink and a rest. The note read:

'Hey, Harry

Hope the muggles aren't giving you too much trouble. Just think, in one more year, you can use magic on them without the MoM on your back! Have a good summer and see you in a few weeks. Mum thinks that'll be a good time. And happy birthday if I cant write then. Enjoy your present!

Ron'

Below Ron's untidy scrawl he read Hermione's neat handwriting saying:

'Here are some books, Harry. We got a lot of everything, just like you asked.

Enjoy! Hermione.'

"Alright!" thought Harry. "Something to help with sorting out dear old 'Tommy'." Harry had started calling Voldemort this after finding out at the Ministry how much he really loathed that name.

But before he could dive headfirst into the books, he realized there were two more letters to open, one from Hogwarts and Professor Snape's answer. He opened Prof. Snape's first.

'Mr. Potter:

I appreciate are apologies for "the incident" as you referred it, but I still hold a lot of contempt towards your father. I will try to make an attempt at being more civil towards you, however I make no promises.'

Harry rolled his eyes, thinking, "Some things never change," and continued reading.

'It is good to see that what I have said in the Occlumency lessons have FINALLY penetrated that think skull of yours. Now that I know this, I agree to train you in the coming term. Make no assumptions that I will go easy on you. It will be even harder than any of your advanced classes.

Professor S. Snape

P.S. Make sure you keep up in my potions class this year. I believe Miss Granger sent you some books to help you.'

"What?!" thought Harry. "Prof. McGonagall said he didn't accept anyone with a grade lower than 'O' in their O.W.L.s!"

He ripped open the remaining letter and pulled out the paper.

'Dear Mr. Potter:

Enclosed are the results of your Ordinary Wizarding Level examinations and the N.E.W.T. level courses you can take.

Subject Written Practical Overall

Herbology O E O

Transfiguration E E E

Astronomy OA E

H.o.M. A - A

Divination A A A

CoMC OO O

DADA O O O

Potions O O O

Charms O E O

Highest DADA marks in more than 150 years. CONGRATULATIONS!

Mr. Potter, you are admitted into the following N.E.W.T. courses:

Herbology, Transfiguration, Astronomy, CoMC, DADA, Potions, and Charms.

Please select at least 5 classes to take for your N.E.W.T.s.

Congratulations on your DADA marks once again.

Prof. M. McGonagall'

* * *

"WOW! I actually made it into the potions class. So… I'll take potions, transfiguration, DADA obviously, charms and herbology. I wish I could take CoMC, but I can't stay close to Hagrid… Damn you, Tom!" 

Harry pinned his O.W.L. results to the wall by his bed and admired them… Then he remembered his new books.

* * *

Sorry for the cliffie… hee hee… I'll write again as soon as I can… damn exams… and i do realize that my characters are getting a little OOC... but its a fic... i'm allowed! lol...... and i kno im exagerating with the grades.. .but meh... w/e 

À bientôt!


	4. Books

Hey, all! I know that I'm taking a REALLY long time updating… but my exams are almost over and I have a week off after… so I'll probably be writing lots… I hope. And btw, I know that the legal age is 17 but I'm changing it to 16 for my fic.

* * *

Acknowledgments:

**Pure Black:** I say it again… I KNOW the chapters are short! I wrote them out on paper first because my computer was down at the time.

**Methoslover: **thanks! He'll be doing a lot of that.

* * *

_Book related stuff_

Writing 

_Harry pinned his O.W.L. results to the wall by his bed and admired them… Then he remembered his new books._

Harry tore the paper off every book and put them in a pile for better examination.

"Wow, Hermione. You sure can pick 'em," thought Harry as he read through all the titles.

"_1001 Curses, Jinxes, Hexes, and Their Counters"_

"_Everything You Ever Wanted To Know (And Some Stuff You Didn't) About Duelling"_

"_Turning A Light On In The Dark Arts"_

Harry did a double take as he read the name of the author of the next book.

"_Guide To Practicing The Dark Arts: Dangers, Precautions, And Instances" _by Severus Snape.

"Wow," thought Harry. "I didn't know he had a book out. Can't say I'm surprised about the topic though. But these are all awesome! This'll help a lot!"

The next book he pulled out of the pile was covered in strange markings that suddenly changed into English before his eyes.

"_Parseltongue Spells: Lost Throughout The Ages" _by Salazar Slytherin.

"Oh… My… GODS! How did Hermione find this and how did she know what it was! This must be so rare. I can't wait to read it!" thought Harry.

After that he found a few of his school books.

"_Advanced Transfiguration; Including Conjuring, Human Transfigurations and Cross-Breeding Plants"_

"_Potions for the Masters" _

"_Advanced Book of Spells" _

The next three books were bound together with a note saying, "These are just books of useful everyday things. More for your fun than anything else."

"_Everyday Potions for Everyday Wizards and Problems"_

_"Charms For Housework"_

"_Basics to Healing" _by Poppy Pomfrey

"_Becoming and Animagus"_

Harry did another double take at that title. While his heart leapt with joy and disguise plots were already forming in his head (not to mention being able to sneak around school at night), he did feel a lump in his throat and an itching behind his eyes when he thought of Sirius and his father. He swallowed and said, "At least I can have this to have in common with them and to remember."

He put that book to the side and looked at the last three. He laughed out loud at the books with notes saying, "Happy Birthday!"

"_Hogwarts: A History" _from Hermione and _"Apparating and Disapparating: Getting out of Unfavourable Situations"_

A note fell out of this book with large letters saying: PROVE HER WRONG!

"Haha. Leave it to Ron to try and prove Hermione wrong."

The last book was very large and heavy.

"_The Complete Works of Occlumency and Legimency: Everything Needed to Close Your Mind and Open Others" _by Albus Dumbledore.

Harry lost all feelings of happiness when he read the title and it was replaced with raw anger and hate. However, he knew that Dumbledore was the most accomplished occlumens and legimens in the world. With a frustrated sigh, he opened that book and started reading.

* * *

Ok… I plan on writing another chapter within the next few days so… sit tight! Lol

À bientôt!


	5. Good News and Fun

ok, I know that i said that i would put a new chappie up in a few days, but things happened and i couldn't get around to writing... so plz don't shoot me, I'm doing what I can. And you can pretty much consider this AU now that HBP is out now, but I am still going to sorta follow that storyline if I can.

* * *

As Harry read his way through the Occlumency books, he still felt angry, but was slowly developing a new respect for Dumbledore. It was going to be a long road on the way to trusting him again, but he was slowly gaining more respect for him, his knowledge, and his power.

As the night faded into daylight, Harry had read through the Occlumency books and was now flipping through to find the key ways to clear his mind, as he knew that was the thing he had trouble doing.

"_Clearing your mind is not any harder to do than simple breathing exercises and meditation. To start, find a secluded area where there is very little noise. From there, sit or lie in a comfortable position and take slow, deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. Focus only on breathing and you will feel yourself slip into a semi-conscious state. Congratulations, you have just cleared your mind. As you practice this you will find that it is easier to clear your mind, even when there is a lot of noise and activity going on around you."_

Before the sun had completely risen, he heard the car door slam and the engine start. Harry had forgotten that Vernon was going on a business trip and would be gone for two weeks. Seeing as Vernon was the abusive guardian, Harry could not have had better luck.

'Only having to scrounge for food for two weeks?' thought Harry. 'Awesome!'

He decided to try meditating to start learning Occlumency. He sat on his bed against the wall and started breathing. At first, he could compare it to Divination, thinking, 'Oh, my God, this is so stupid.' But, Harry knew that he had to stay focused or he would never be able to Occlude his mind. At that thought, he could have sworn he heard a little voice in head that sounded just like Professor Snape in his head saying, "You will fail at this, Potter. Just like you always have. Pathetic!"

As soon as he heard that, Harry said out loud, "I'll prove you wrong, Professor. Just wait and see," and went back to meditating.

* * *

Harry was shaken from his reverie by his aunt screeching through the door. "Boy! Get up and make breakfast, you worthless freak!"

Harry replied by defiantly saying, "NO! I'm not going to be your slave anymore!"

The direct response to that was, "WHAT! How dare you disobey me? After feeding you and clothing you… Boy, just you wait until Vernon gets home! You will get the beating of a lifetime!"

At this point, Harry was feeling quite confident. "Oh, yeah," he yelled. "He's gone and your wittle Diddydums is at boxing camp for a month! I have at least two weeks before there will be anyone around to give me 'the beating of a lifetime'. So just leave me alone and I'm not doing any of your damn chores!"

Aunt Petunia just huffed and stormed down the stairs. Harry smirked at the door and felt the rush of power he felt at finally telling off his guardian. Now that he had an idea of what a cleared mind felt like, he decided to read through his other books. He picked up the duelling book and started reading.

* * *

A few days later, Harry had been reading and practicing wand movements of all the duelling spells that caught his eye. Not only was he studying hard, but he was also getting extremely hungry. Aunt Petunia had pulled out the old keys for all the locks on his door and they were doing they're job. He was unable to get out of his room, not to eat, not for anything. The smell was really starting to get bad. Harry was starting to have second thoughts about how "great" this summer was turning out to be. He had also noticed some changes in his appearance, that he wasn't so sure was just puberty. His hair grew at an alarming rate until it went just past his shoulders, his voice deepened greatly and he was starting to get some real muscle definition. To pass the time, he had been doing basic fitness routines with push-ups, but he thought that it was way too easy. Aunt Petunia had already gone to bed and Harry was just considering doing something about the state of his room when an unfamiliar, important looking owl perched on his windowsill. He crossed the room and let in the bird, who immediately flew off, dropping the letter at Harry's feet. The first thing he noticed about this letter was that it was from the ministry. Inwardly, he groaned, thinking that he was in some sort of made up trouble again. He opened the letter and gasped at what he read.

'_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_Due to circumstances beyond our control, it has been decided that the age of under-aged wizardry will be lowered. You are free to use any spell, just don't let any muggles see you._

_Dept. of Under-Aged Wizardry_

_Glenda Tufkins.'_

'OH MY GOD! This is just too great!' thought Harry. 'I can finally really practice these damn spells.' He did an almost victory dance around the room and immediately got out his wand. The first thing he did was clean up his room and got rid of the stink. 'Ah, that is SO much better,' he thought. 'Time to try this conjuring thing.' Harry raised his wand and thought about what he wanted to eat. Without warning, a burger and fries just appeared out of thin air, still hot. Harry gasped and thought, 'oh my God, what just happened? I didn't even move my wand and exactly what I wanted was conjured… is that normal for wizards in their teens?' He decided to try another test. He looked across the room and saw a little ball. Without raising his wand, he thought, 'Accio ball,' and it came zooming towards him faster than anything he had ever summoned before. "WOW!" he said out loud. He ate what he conjured and continued conjuring and eating until he was fully sated. After that he practiced the spells he had read about until he was too tired to keep his eyes open, and collapsed on his bed.

* * *

Ok… I think that this would be a good time to stop for this chapter and it should tide you ppl over lol… until next time!

l8r


	6. Freedom!

ok i'm sorry it took so long, but you wouldn't believe the crap going on in my life... but it's over now and i hope to update more often... and i can't remember if i said this already, but i know that the adult age in Harry's actual world is 17, but im making it 16 for my own purposes..

* * *

The two Vernon free weeks went by all to quickly for Harry. His aunt had only tried a few more times to get him out to do the chores that were assigned for him, but quickly gave up as soon as she caught sight of the vacuum roll out of the closet and start by magic. Her paranoid fear of "freakiness" had won out over her lazy side, and she ended up hiring a house maid to do all the work. Meanwhile, Harry stayed in his room, perfecting many of the spells from the books he had gotten. He found that he was able to sleep for longer periods of time now, and his nightmares were now much fewer and farther between. His scar stopped its constant ache due to Harry now being able to successfully occlude his mind. 'So, there!' thought Harry as he remembered professor Snape's taunting on how he'd never be able to do it. When he read through his animagus book, he learned that some, but only very powerful wizards were able to have multiple forms. Going on everything that Dumbledore had told him about his destiny, he figured that he would be able to have that privilege. The book had said to cast a spell on yourself which would put you to sleep and you would dream of the creatures you would be able to morph into. So he said, "_animagus revealo_" and immediately fell into a deep sleep. In his dream, Harry was standing in the middle of a dense, grey fog. He squinted around, looking for anything, but found nothing. He stood there for was seemed like hours before he saw shapes moving through the mist. He saw four definite animals moving towards him. First, he saw a massive black stag with a small white patch on its chest. Harry blinked back tears as he knew that this was his father showing through in him. He looked at the next form, which was a 4 foot long snake. Harry frowned slightly as he thought this showed more of Tom than himself, but he also thought it was rather fitting. He caught sight of a large black panther, pacing back and forth in front of him with the brightest green eyes he had every seen, save when he looked into a mirror. He watched as the powerful muscles in the panther's hind legs bunch as he leaped, trying to catch Harry's final form. A small black raven squawked indignantly and settled on Harry's shoulder, where he started preening. Harry smiled at the bird and softly petted its wing. Without warning, the animals disappeared in a puff of smoke and Harry immediately awoke. He grinned broadly in anticipation and read on how to transform.

The day that Vernon was due to come home, Harry had finally mastered his fourth shape, the raven. By this time, he had also mastered apparating, first with just little trips across his room, then around the house when his aunt and Dudley weren't around, then clear into muggle London, as well as every useful spell and curse he found in his books. He was no longer malnourished, as he had perfected his food conjuring skills and had filled out quite handsomely. Tomorrow was his birthday, and he had been planning to run away for about a week. Knowing this, he wasn't worried in the slightest about his uncle's return. He should have been.

Harry heard the car shut off in the driveway and the front door open. He could also hear his aunt and uncle exchange words at the front door, but couldn't decipher what it was they were saying until he heard a deafening, "HE WHAT!"

"Uh, oh," said Harry. 'I am SO in for it,' he thought. He heard his uncle yelling as he thundered up the stairs and when he kicked open the door, not bothering with the locks, Harry knew that this punishment was going to exceed everything he had ever had.

"You worthless, lazy, ungrateful little FREAK!" Uncle Vernon shouted at Harry, spraying him with spittle in his rage. "After 15 years of clothing you, feeding you, keeping a roof over your head, you go and disrespect your Aunt by not doing the simple chores we set out for you! I thought I put respect into your brain before I left, but I guess I'm going to have to use more drastic measures." Harry's eyes widened in fear as he realized that he was defenceless, due to his wand being behind his uncle, who was advancing on him slowly with a mad smile on his face. The first blow landed on the side of Harry's face, knocking his glasses to the floor and leaving him unable to see the onslaught of fists coming at him.

"I'll teach you respect if it's the last bloody thing I do!" shouted Uncle Vernon as he hit Harry hard enough to send him to the floor. "You will do - _kick _- your chores - _kick _- or I WILL - _kick _- THROW - _kick _- YOU - _kick _- OUT!" _KICK_

This was all Harry heard as after the last kick, he blacked out. Vernon, however was far from done. He continued to kick Harry until he missed him and kicked the desk instead. Cursing, he left Harry in his steadily growing pool of blood and slammed the door, pushing a full bookcase in front of the door for good measure, and stomped downstairs.

Harry awoke several hours later, bruised, bloody and broken. He felt around for his glasses and put them on to assess the damage his uncle inflicted on him. He had a broken nose, a broken arm, ugly purple bruises over his entire body, open wounds that managed to scab over, and he was sure he had a concussion, judging by the massive headache he had. More than ever now, he was grateful that Hermione had good tastes in books. He pulled out his healing book and went about cleaning and healing his various injuries, but for some reason could not remove the little kink in his nose where it had broken. When he was finished, he looked at his illuminated clock and noticed with a start that it was 12:37... He was 16 and he was free! He happily said the packing spell that Tonks had used the previous summer and made to leave out the door. In annoyance, he realized what his uncle had done.

"No matter," said Harry. "I'll just go out the window," he smirked. He shrunk his trunk, put it in his pocket, opened the window and transformed into his raven form. He sat there, perched on the sill for a few minutes just breathing the fresh night air, before he stretched his wings and took off, heading for the nearby park. 'I guess this flying thing comes programmed into the animal' Harry thought happily as he realized he didn't really have to think about the whole flying thing. He landed a little roughly with a squawk when he got to the park and dusted himself off after changing back to human form. He stood tall and proud for the first time in months. Harry realized that no matter where he went in the wizarding world, he was going to be recognized, so after thinking for a minute, he pulled out his wand and cast a few charms to change his appearance. First off, he charmed his scar to move up and be hidden just above his hairline. Second, as much as he loved his bright green eyes, he charmed them a rich dark blue and put a temporary vision clearing charm on his eyes so he wouldn't need his glasses for a while. As his hair was now longer, he left it down so that it covered the majority of his face, even with the changes he made. Satisfied with his look, he looked around, and with a small smile on his face, disapparated with a pop to the Leaky Cauldron.

Tom, the barkeep of the Leaky Cauldron looked up as the door opened. He barely took notice of the young man, but couldn't shake the feeling that he knew who it was. Shrugging, he went back to cleaning glasses.

"Excuse me, Sir," said Harry. "I would like a room for a few days."

Tom eyed Harry and replied, "Certainly young man, just give me a few minutes to find a suitable room for you. Name's Tom by the way."

"Pleased to meet you, Tom," said Harry as he shook the older man's hand. "How much will that cost me?"

"It's 5 galleons a night, breakfast included, Mr…?"

"Evans. Dimitri Evans," said Harry, thinking quickly.

"Very well, Mr. Evans, here is your room, breakfast is from 6 until 8. Good night young sir."

"Good night to you too as well, Tom," said Harry and entered his room with a giddy feeling of freedom. 'Tom was the first person before who recognized who I was when I was younger and I fooled him! This is bloody fantastic!' Harry thought with glee. He jumped onto his bed and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Harry roused himself at 6:30 and wandered downstairs for breakfast. He sat at a table and a young lady came up to him and asked, "What'll it be this morning, love?"

"I'll have some eggs, bacon and toast please, with a cup of coffee, black."

"Righto, love. Comin' right up," she said as she went through a door and returned almost immediately with his plate of food. He ate quickly and left a tip for the cheerful waitress then headed back up to his room. When he entered, he wasn't surprised to see his snowy owl sitting on his trunk, hooting softly.

"Hey, Hedwig. You found me. You're so smart," whispered Harry to his beloved familiar as she gently nipped his fingers. "I'm going to put a few charms on you ok? Just to keep you and I safe." Hedwig hooted her approval and Harry cast his few spells on her. "Ok, one is so that no one can track you when you're delivering something for me, another is so that you're the only owl that can find me, another is so that minor hexes and curses won't hurt you, and the last was so that everyone else will see you as a barn owl, and only I can tell you're a snowy owl. I don't want anybody finding me this summer, Hedwig, and this is what I have to do." Harry told her when she looked at him with reproachful eyes at the thought of no longer getting lots of attention for being a snowy owl. She flew off in a bit of a huff, and Harry chuckled at her antics. As he got ready for the day, he made a mental note of everything he would need, both from the magical and muggle world. 'Uh, oh," thought Harry. 'I don't think that all of this is going to fit in my trunk. I guess I'm going to need a new one.'

When he was ready, he recast his eye charm and stepped out back of the pub. He entered Diagon Alley and walked straight towards Gringotts, head held high and no one even spared him a second glance. Harry entered the bank and walked up to one of the goblins who immediately said, "Good morning, Mr. Potter. How can I help you today?"

Harry hid his shock and said, "I need to make a withdrawal, however I wish to be called Mr. Dimitri Evans from now on… for safety reasons."

"Of course, Mr. Po- er, Evans. I am called Griphook. From which account do you wish to make the withdrawal?"

Harry looked up at Griphook with a puzzled look on his face. "Yes, I remember you…. You were the one that went with me on my first trip here. But what do you mean, 'which account'? I only have one don't I?"

"Actually, sir, you have several more now that you have come of age. The account you have been using was meant for your school days only, but your father has many vaults here, as the Potters was a prominent, well-to-do family."

"Uh… well, I suppose I'd like to see what's in all of them…. See if I need anything from them."

"Very well, Mr. Evans, follow me," said Griphook as he led Harry to the carts. Several minutes later, after a wild cart ride, they stood in front of a massive door, bigger than Harry had ever seen, save the front gates to the castle. "Put your hand on the door and state your full name. It will only open if you are a true Potter," informed Griphook.

Harry hesitantly went forward and placed his palm on the cold steel. "Ha- Harold James Potter," he stuttered. For a second, nothing happened and Harry began to wonder, but then noises could be heard from the inside that could only be the unlocking of many different locks. The doors opened and he stared down a corridor with many smaller vaults on both sides. Harry felt his jaw hit his chest as he looked around and it did not go unnoticed by Griphook.

"Impressive, isn't it?" said the little goblin with a smirk. "This vault to the left holds priceless artwork, the vault to the right holds furniture and the like. As we move down the hall, there is a vault that contains all your family's money, making you, young man, one of the richest wizards in our world, short of the Malfoys and the Blacks. This vault here contains a library of books, some of which are the only copies."

Harry's head shot up at this piece of information, as he had read through everything that he owned and was starting to get bored. Griphook finished by saying, "And this vault contains your parents personal papers, wills, deeds, etc. Would you like to look at them now?"

"Yes, please, I would," replied Harry, still in a daze over all that he now owned. Griphook led him into the vault and Harry went through the box labelled "deeds". As it turned out, his father's family owned many properties all over the world, including an old, secluded castle in Scotland.

"I'll just take some money with me at the moment, Griphook, and I'll come back and go through all this more thoroughly next time. But, I do have one request. This castle in Scotland…. Is there a staff of house elves there?"

"Yes, sir. I believe your family owned 30 for that particular property. Would you like me to send word to them that you will soon be arriving there?" asked Griphook, reading Harry's mind.

"Yes, please. Tell them I will be there in a few days as I have business to attend to here first."

"Very well, Mr. Evans. Come with me then," said Griphook as he turned on his heel and led Harry to the vault containing money. He opened the door and stood back, letting Harry get a good look at just how filthy rich he really was. Harry stood there gaping for some time before Griphook cleared his throat, effectively getting Harry's attention.

"Oh… right… sorry, Griphook," said Harry sheepishly.

"That's quite alright sir, I was merely making sure you could be brought out of your shock," he said with a smirk. "If I am not mistaken, there should be a bottomless wallet to your right."

Sure enough, Harry spotted it and started piling heaps of galleons and sickles into it. After several minutes, he figured he had enough to get him through the next few days of shopping and turned to Griphook and asked to have some of his money exchanged into muggle pounds. A half an hour later, Harry walked out of the bank with more than 10 thousand pounds in muggle money as well as several thousand galleons all in his bottomless money bag, charmed to weigh as much as a feather. He made his way towards the trunk shop and walked in, a quiet jingling bell alerting the owner to his presence.

"Can I be of any assistance today, Mr…?" asked the owner.

"Evans. And at the moment I'm just browsing. I'll let you know if I need anything," replied Harry. The owner just nodded and went about his business. Harry wandered through the many different makes of trunks, but noticed that he couldn't really find anything much bigger than his school trunk, at least not any that would make a significant difference. 'Hmmm…,' thought Harry. 'I guess I could always ask about that trunk that Mad-Eye has… see if this guy has anything like it.' "Excuse me, sir, do you carry multi-compartment trunks?" asked Harry out loud to the owner.

The owner eyed Harry up and down before he answered, "Yes, I do Mr. Evans, but I highly doubt that you would be able to afford one of mine."

Harry was annoyed immensely by this man's haughtiness. "I assure you sir, I have more than enough money to buy out the entire Alley. Now, once again, what do you have?"

The owner finally decided to humour the young man standing before him and show his very finest and most expensive trunk. "Very well. Step this way." Harry followed the rude shopkeeper into the back room. "This trunk has 8 large rooms with various rooms coming off them. One, a bedroom with a spacious walk in closet, though I doubt you have enough possessions to fill even a quarter of it," sneered the owner as he eyed Harry's rag-like clothing. Harry frowned as he continued, "Another is a comfortable study, complete with a large mahogany desk and matching furniture. This room is especially unique as it allows muggle technology such as computer thingies to function on magic. Next, is the library, which has enough room in it to house every book in Hogwarts… twice." Harry's jaw dropped at the sheer space that fit into this trunk. There were two landings and each one had floor to ceiling bookshelves covering every inch of the wall space, save a large fireplace and the doors connecting to the rest of the trunk. A soft cream coloured carpet covered the floors and a floating orb served as plenty of light for the entire room. The shopkeeper smirked and pressed on, "The fireplace is fully functional, the smoke goes unnoticed by others and it can be connected to the Floo network if you wish. The next room is a potions lab, complete with all the modern conveniences. It is chilled, explosion proof, fire proof, and all around accident proof. If you were to drop a vial it would merely bounce as if it landed on rubber. Any smoke or fumes also can be dispersed in the air outside without passers-by noticing. Off to the left is a large storage cupboard that can house any potions and ingredients you may have."

This room reminded Harry a little of the dungeons at Hogwarts, with its stonework, but instead of many desks being scattered around the room, there were only a few long work benches where only a few people could work with comfort.

"Next on the tour is the fitness room," announced the owner as they entered a large, yet empty room. "This room can be used for any weapons training or fencing. Simply pick up any weapon and the room will automatically know how to train you. As you get better, the room makes it more challenging. Through that door," he pointed to the left most door, "is the pool. It is Olympic sized and has a permanent spill-proof spell on the entire room, meaning that no matter what, not a drop of water from that pool, unless it's on you, will ever get through that door to the rest of the trunk. That door," pointing at the middle door, "Leads to the weight room. There are many free weights, benches, machines, and other equipment within to provide you with all your training needs. The last door leads to the steam sauna and shower. No matter how long it runs, the water will remain the temperature you want it. Next is one of the smaller room, as it is a kitchenette. There is a fridge, stove, and oven, and like the study, muggle technology can be brought into this room and will function. The next room is mainly for storage. Enlargement charms can be cast as needed. The final room is left bare, to meet any specific needs of the customer. Another nice feature is that anyone who doesn't know the trunk has more than one compartment, won't notice and that the trunk is charmed to weigh very little, regardless of what is put inside. That covers the tour, Mr. Evans, now I would appreciate if you would kindly bugger off and let me get back to work!" finished the owner and he just about had Harry pushed out of his shop before he released a blast of magic that knocked the now stunned man to the floor.

"I want that trunk, sir. I told you, I have the money. How much?" demanded Harry.

"It… it is 2,500 galleons sir," stammered the man, still sitting on the floor.

Harry took out his wallet and gave the man the money. He sat there on the floor, flabbergasted at this young man, who at first glance looked like a homeless beggar, but was apparently very rich indeed. "Umm…what would you like the last room to be?"

Harry thought for a moment before coming to his decision. "I want it to be a room that stretches out as far as the eye can see, and any spell, curse or hex can be cast in it, dark or light, and the ministry would never be able to detect it. I repeat, NEVER! And the trunk must be only able to open for me… I don't want anybody snooping through my stuff."

"Yes, sir… right away sir," said the humbled store owner as he finally got off his arse and scrambled into the room to make the alterations. He returned 20 minutes later, trunk in tow. "Here it is sir, and I wish to apologise for my behaviour earlier." The older man bowed his head in a gesture of respect. Harry looked at him with dislike and declared, "I am reluctant to refer anyone I know to this hovel, but seeing as this is very fine work, I won't steer people away from it." And with that, Harry turned on his heel and marched out onto the street.

After shrinking the trunk and putting it in his pocket, Harry apparated to an alley just off the main shopping strip of London. He walked out into the street and headed into the nearest clothing store. He spent a few hours in there buying jeans, t-shirts, hoodies, a few pairs of dress slacks and some formal button down shirts. He left wearing a snug black t-shirt, with a pair of jeans, leaving his former "clothes" to be disposed of there. Walking a little farther down the street, he came to a shoe store, where he bought trainers, sandals, slippers, big boots, and formal shoes. Owing to the fact that he was now carrying several bulky and heavy bags, he ducked into an alley and dumped his bags into the closet of his trunk. Continuing down the street, he stopped in a leather store, buying several jackets in various cuts, pants and more boots. Stepping out of the store in his favourite nearly robe length jacket about an hour later, he decided to go for lunch. He glanced up and down the street, before grinning and deciding he wanted McDonald's. Entering the establishment, he was overcome by all the smells. Mouth watering, he ordered a large lunch, and then continued on his way. He spotted a store called "Hot Topic" and thought it looked cool, so he wandered inside and instantly fell in love with the place. He spent quite some time looking at clothes and ended up buying more loose jeans and hoodies, some belts and several chains. The girl at the counter looked at Harry and commented that he should get some piercing's and maybe a tattoo. "Yeah, I, like, know this awesome place. You just go up the street 3 blocks and turn left. You can't miss it," she told Harry. 'Hmm… yeah, I think I could deal with that… could help with my disguises that's for sure.' So he left and followed the directions he was given. Half an hour later, he walked out with piercings all up his ears, his right eyebrow, and his left nostril. No one would have been able to tell who this young man was; long raven black hair, dressed in black and several piercings. Harry turned and went back to the main strip, where he continued up the street in search of more stores.


	7. Shopping

_No one would have been able to tell who this young man was; long raven black hair, dressed in black and several piercings. Harry turned and went back to the main strip, where he continued up the street in search of more stores._

* * *

'O.K. I think I have enough clothes now,' thought Harry. 'Wow… I kinda look like Snape now… weird…. Anyways, now I can get some furniture and 'toys'.' he thought with a slight giggle. Harry was feeling positively giddy after spending so much money, but not having to worry in the slightest about his funds. He knew he could have a career as a personal shopper in New York, London, Paris, and Los Angeles combined and STILL have enough left as an inheritance for 15 children to fight over. He walked for about 20 minutes through London, just browsing through the windows until he came to a furniture store. There, he walked in and bought a five piece bedroom set, mahogany, like the desk that was in his trunk's office, a leather La-Z-Boy chair and matching couch and loveseat for his library. When the salesman, happy about the commission he knew was coming his way, asked whether Harry would like his items delivered or if he was going to pick them up, Harry froze. 'Uh, oh,' he thought. "Umm… I'll just take them with me now." The salesman looked at Harry with a questioning expression and Harry quickly and discretely waved his wand and non verbally cast obliviate on the man. His eyes glazed over and he said dreamily, "Of course, young man. They're in the back… just take them." He pointed Harry in the right direction and he thanked the man and shrunk his new items and once again, put them in his trunk. Leaving that store, Harry walked into a place that sold electronics and appliances. Walking around, he spent a great deal of time thinking before finally purchasing a desktop computer, a laptop, a microwave, a fridge, a deep freezer, a washer/drier combo set, a stereo, a TV, VCR, DVD player and other little objects for the kitchen he would need. Doing the same thing he did at the furniture store, he obliviated the man and put all his new items in his trunk. He would later go in and set up all his new electronics and figure out how to work them with ease.

Figuring he was pretty much done with muggle London, Harry made his way back to Diagon Alley, trunk and all his new belongings safely stored in the pocket of his leather jacket. No one even spared a second glance as he made his way through the crowded bar. 'Nice,' thought Harry. 'Very nice, indeed!'

Heading back into the alley, he went back to the bank to get more items out of his many vaults. Once again, it was Griphook that took him down. Heading into the vault with the books, he opened his trunk to the library and, with the help of the goblin, started levitating all his books onto the shelves. Realizing he had no clue which books he actually had, he pulled out his brand new PDA and with a little magical tweaking, created a list of every book he now had in his library by title, author, subject, and each had a brief summary. Walking across the hall to the vault with all the furniture, Harry took a quick look around before deciding to have all of it sent to his castle.

"Mr. Evans," called Griphook. "I have just been informed that the will of a Mr. Sirius Black has been unearthed. As it turns out, you are the only person mentioned in it. You inherit all the Black vaults, all his belongings and any properties he may have. Congratulations, sir, you are now officially the richest wizard in the entire world."

Harry's head swam at these revelations. First off, he couldn't believe that Sirius would leave absolutely everything to him. A few tears slipped out of his eyes unbidden and his grief welled up to the surface. After a minute, Harry composed himself and also realized the last thing Griphook had told him. '_THE _richest! Oh my…' Harry just stood there, staring at nothing, as Griphook tried with vain to get his attention by waving his hand in front of his face. Out of nowhere, Harry just began to laugh. Harder and harder until he fell onto the floor in hysterics. A few minutes passed before Harry had any semblance of control again. "Sorry about that, Griphook… I just can't even imagine a number that big. It was just a little overwhelming."

"Quite understandable, sir. It has actually happened before," commented the goblin. "Would you like to look through Mr. Black's belongings now, or come back later?"

"Umm… actually, I _would _like to come back later… he was a close friend and I-I just can't do it yet. But, there is one thing of his I want. That motorcycle he had… is that in one of his vaults?" asked Harry.

"Yes Mr. Evans, right this way," called Griphook, over his shoulder as he was already heading back to the cart.

After getting the bike, shrinking it and putting it in one of his other pockets, as well as refilling his money bags, he left the bank for the final time this visit and headed back into the alley for more shopping. He got many different sized swords, daggers, and throwing knives at a weapons shop, as well as a few muggle automatic and semi-automatic hand guns. Arming himself with a few daggers, he left the shop and walked into Flourish and Blotts. Spending more than an hour perusing the shelves, he made a huge purchase with the help of the list on his PDA, which the attendant stared at blankly before shaking his head and muttering. The next stop was to buy parchment and items he would need for school. Passing by Olivander's, he had a sudden revolution regarding his wand. Since he was destined to fight ol' Voldy-pants, he would need a wand that _could_ fight him. The bell above the door dinged when he stepped across the threshold and looked around. Mr. Olivander was nowhere in sight.

"Umm… Mr. Olivander? Are you back there?" asked Harry as he peered towards the back of the store.

"Yes, yes, I shall be right with you Mr. Potter," a startled Harry heard. 'How the bloody hell had he known it was me! My voice doesn't even sound the same!' Deciding to play it cool, Harry informed the now present Olivander, "Excuse me sir, but my name is Evans, Dimitri Evans. And I am in need of a new wand, this one just isn't working as well for me as it had been."

Olivander peered at the young man, eyeing the wand he was holding and stated, "I told you before, Mr. Potter, that I remember every wand I've ever sold. That wand is tied to you and you alone. The reason behind the alias you supplied me is unknown, however I shall play along. You say you need a new wand, Mr. Evans?" Harry nodded. "Very well then, follow me," said Olivander as he turned on his heel and headed back to the rear of the shop, with Harry in tow. Going through some of the more common woods and wand cores, Harry was starting to get bored and Olivander more excited. "Curious…" whispered the old man as he wandered over to a dusty old cabinet. He unwarded it and unlocked it, pulling out a long, slender wand box. Within, a pure black wand that unlike its case, was extremely shiny and well kept. "Try this one Mr. Evans. African blackwood wand with a very unusual core. Powdered basilisk tooth and a hair off the head of a vampire. Very unusual combination indeed," he rambled as he handed Harry the wand.

If his first wand had given him a warm, fuzzy feeling, then this new wand sent flames through his arm right into his heart and soul. "I'll take this one. How much?" asked Harry.

Mr. Olivander paused. "The thing is, Mr. Evans, that wand has been handed down throughout the generations of my family and you are the first person that has ever gotten the slightest reaction from it. I do not believe that if I kept the wand in the family, it would ever sell. So, I shall give it to you, free of charge Mr. Evans, and good luck."

"Thank you sir," said Harry as he walked out of the man's shop, wand safely in a hidden holster. Even while he wasn't holding it, he could feel its power and how it was drawn to him. This was it… _THE_ wand that would cast the spell that would cause the downfall of the Dark Lord.

Glancing towards the entrance to Knockturn Alley, Harry spied a wizarding tattoo parlour. Arching his eyebrow, he entered thinking, '_Meh, why not?_' Leaving a few hours later, now baring several wizarding tattoos that moved around his body like the paintings and photographs do. Currently, his new green snake tattoo was wrapped around his left wrist and scattered around his body, what a muggle would have taken for just tribal tattoos, were markings that would "absorb" most minor hexes and curses. 'Hmmm… that's actually a really cool idea. I'll have to look in my library to figure out how to make more tattoos that will work against darker magic.'

Against his better judgement, Harry also felt it was necessary to make a trip into Knockturn Alley, dodging the dark wizards hiding in the shadows. Entering Borgan & Burkes, he made sure that his scar wasn't visible and began searching through the books against one of the walls.

"How might I be of assistance, Mr…?" asked the slithery Mr. Borgan.

'Uh oh,' thought an alarmed Harry. 'Evans isn't a pureblood name, and I _KNOW _he's going to expect one!'

"I'm waiting boy," the now irritated co-owner grumbled.

"Snape, sir… Sebastian Snape," blurted out Harry, putting on his best Professor Snape impersonation, complete with the glare.

The store owner gave him a once over before seeming convinced. "Very well, Mr. Snape, what are you looking for today? I didn't know Severus had a son," commented Borgan.

"I've been educated out of country for my life. My mother just recently died and sent me to live with my father. I'm meeting him later on so I must get my purchases made quickly or I'll be late."

"Yes, yes of course young sir. What will you be needing today? Anything at all sir, you just name it and I'll give you a great deal on it, I swear it sir," rambled Borgan.

"What ever, I'll take all these books… just shrink them and I'll take them all now," demanded Harry with a sneer.

"Yes, sir. Right away, sir." Harry watched Borgan slither off to do as he demanded, all the while thinking, 'Pathetic… no backbone at all'

"Here you are, Master Snape. Give your father my regards," called Borgan as Harry hastily made his way out of the sleazy shop. 'Crazy guy… absolutely mad. Although, keeping this Snape persona could help me around here. I get respect before I have to flash my money.'

Deciding to get back into the relative safety of Diagon Alley, Harry finished up his shopping at his apothecary, getting a wide variety of ingredients for both his new home lab and his trunk lab, as well as many new cauldrons and instruments.

Just as darkness began to set in around him, Harry sighed with exhaustion and finally apparated to his family castle in Scotland.

* * *

Ok, yeah, I know, feel free to shoot me… it's been a while but I swear I haven't given up on this fic…thanks to all my reviewers! Luv ya! 


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